Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Secrets Of An Unworthy Heart ❯ Our Actions Define Us ( Chapter 3 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

By: Langus

Every life has moments that define it and shape the path it will take. These moments can be painful reminders of the ways in which we have failed ourselves and those who love us, or they can be the opposite; joyful celebrations of everything that we've done right while stumbling through life.

In a third categoryã€€there is another, rarer, class of moment. These moments are not good or bad, they elicit no emotion other than surprise and yet somehow they manage to be the greatest catalysts for change.

In his short life Gin had already experienced one such life altering moment - the day he met Rangiku. This day, however, would reveal to him another and he was wholly unprepared for it.

The day had begun like any other. It was hot out. The sun's golden rays scorched the dead earth and beat down mercilessly upon their heads as they walked. They were headed for the village, the one he had left so many years ago and sworn never to return to. Why he was drawn there he couldn't be sure. A part of him felt like it was the right time to introduce Rangiku to a part of the world she'd never known. She was bright and strong willed, he had confidence that she would survive and perhaps even prosper where he had failed to.

From the day they'd met he'd known they were different. Opposites at their very core, they were diametrically opposed in the same way that day opposes night and light, dark, and yet he had never felt more at home than he was with her.

When she smiled a part of him smiled as well. When she laughed warmth flooded into his heart leaving him feeling whole in its wake. He understood that she would be better off without him, but selfishly he could not bear to let her go. After spending years at her side, learning with her, laughing with her, surviving with her, he had grown accustomed to her company and couldn't stomach the thought of returning to the life he'd known before her.

In any other circumstance this quaint life they'd fashioned for themselves never would have existed, he knew that. Given the choice, what could someone like her possibly gain from staying with someone like him?

If you truly cared for her, you would let her choose,Â his conscience reminded him daily. He couldn't deny the truth of those words any longer and the weight of them dogged his every step.

"Gin where are we going?" Rangiku whined from behind him.

She turned her face up to the scorching sun and let its rays beat down upon her reddened skin. They'd been walking since day break and the temperature had steadily risen with each passing hour. Now that the sun was high in the sky it was almost unbearable.

With an exhausted sigh she twisted her hair up at the nape her neck and began to fan the exposed skin with her free hand. A light sheen of sweat shone across her forehead and she wiped away with her sleeve before dropping her heavy curtain of hair back into place.

Gin didn't answer her. Rather than feign an excuse he remained silent knowing that she would drop the subject. She never pressed him for answers he was unwilling to give. By giving him space she'd teased out his trust. He was often surprised to find himself telling her things he'd never before dreamed of speaking aloud. She knew the most secret wishes of his heart and though that made him vulnerable he trusted her implicitly to protect them.

"I wish my father was here," she moaned sullenly. "He would carry me across this desert on his back so I wouldn't have to walk so far."

Gin smiled. The girl loved to complain but it never irritated him. At the moment she was playing their game. They'd created it one night while lying out under the stars. It was so rare that the night sky cleared enough to see their twinkling light that they made the most of it. Stretched out next to one another in contented silence, with their backs against the dirt, they'd taken turns describing the family they imagined they'd had before arriving in this world.

Gin's mother was always warm and kind. Her hands were soft, yet strong. She would use them to brush the unruly strands of hair out of his eyes while gently chiding him that it needed a trim. His father was a proud man, tall and lean with silver hair like his own. He emanated strength and power but there was a gentle wisdom in his gaze. Gin liked to imagine that his father had many laugh lines creasing the corners of his mouth and the delicate skin around his eyes.

In his dreams, his family was always laughing and smiling. They told him every day they were proud to have him as a son. It was bittersweet, their game. It simultaneously reminded them of what they didn't have while giving them hope that some day they would find what they were so desperately searching for.

Rangiku's family was ever changing. One moment her mother had long dark hair, the next it was short and light like her own. Her father had a multitude of characteristics as well. One day he was a runner, the next as strong as an ox and able to lift whole carts above his head without breaking a sweat! The family she created for herself morphed to suit her ever changing mood, but her creativity was a welcome break from the modernity of daily life.

As the first signs of the village came into view Gin felt the familiar knots of anxiety begin to turn and weave in his gut. He wasn't sure what to expect. He had little faith that things had changed much in the years since he'd left.

"Gin... Where are we?" Rangiku's voice rang out timid and confused from behind him. He stopped in his tracks and inclined his head towards her.

"Stay close," he warned.

It didn't take a genius to realize that with her expressive eyes, slowly developing body and innocent naÃ¯vetÃ© she would be easy prey for those who would take advantage of it.

Obeying him unquestioningly, she skipped to his side and walked next to him. He observed her out of the corner of his eye as she scanned the approaching buildings warily. From what he could tell, the area was deserted for the moment. Of course, thugs were always a possibility but for the moment there appeared to be none.

The haunted structures of long abandoned homes towered up on either side of them and Rangiku wound her small hands around his arm. Straightening his back Gin did his best to appear confident and strong though inside he felt as uneasy as she looked.

Taking an alternate route down a deserted alley, he avoided some of the places where gangs liked to mingle and led her towards the market. This would be the first stop on their tour. Though the city was full of death and sorrow and possessed an aura of desolate loneliness the market brought it to life.

As he led her there he watched her eyes widen at the various carts and shops that came into sight. She gripped his arm tighter and his bicep flexed instinctively. He understood why she was nervous - she'd never been in the company of so many strangers in her life. The entire time they'd been together it'd always been just the two of them. To go from such simple company to the congested bustle of the market had to be overwhelming. He led her onwards, regardless of her fears. It was time she learned what the world could offer her that he could not.

Rangiku stared in wide-eyed shock at the colourful people who pushed by her on every side. So many different faces and bodies, it was impossible to keep track of them all. Unable to help herself, her eyes jerked erratically from people's faces to the contents of the various carts along the main road, to the colourful tapestries that decorated some of the buildings overhead. It was incredible. She had no idea such a place existed, one that was so full of life and exuberance. She turned to Gin, a hesitant smile lighting her face but he did not return it. He remained stony and sullen and his eyes constantly shifted around the crowd as if he was looking for someone in particular.

As they made their way through the market the crowd began to disperse and the noise dropped to a low murmur. On either side of them were small squat buildings calledÂ izakayasÂ with homes set in-between. Gin did not stop at these and seemed to pick up his pace. Rangiku was confused but followed him knowing that Gin understood a great deal more about these kinds of things than she did. It was as they passed the last pub in the stretch that a gruff voice called out to them from behind.

"Gin!"

He paused but did not turn. Rangiku glanced at him, her face full of confusion, before peering over her shoulder to see who it was that had called him.

About a dozen paces or so behind them was a man with tousled dark hair. He stood arrogantly in the centre of the street with his fists on his hips and a wicked smirk on his lips. A shiver ran up her spine as his eyes shifted to fix on her and his grin widened into a leer. Her grip on Gin's arm tightened as several more men, equally grubby looking and lecherous stumbled out of theÂ izakayaÂ to join their friend.

"What? No hello for your old friends Gin? Shame! Who's this? Why don't you introduce us?" He turned around at that, stepping in front of Rangiku he put his arm out to protect her.

"Don' even think about touchin' her!" he warned them, his eyes ablaze.

Rangiku took a hesitant step backwards. She'd never seen Gin angry like this. His body practically radiated with hate as he stared at the men in front of him. Who were they? What could they possibly have done to make her gentle friend suddenly so full of violence? Wagering a glance their way, she slowly began to understand why Gin detested these men.

They were not like him in any way. They leered at her, their eyes roaming over her body like serpents. It made her skin crawl the way they seemed to undress her with their gaze and she unconsciously covered herself and turned her head away.

Gin had never looked at her like that. In all the time they'd been together, slept in each others' company, been nude in front of one another while changing, never had his eyes held that devious glint. Goose bumps broke out along her arms and she hastily chaffed at them with her hands.

"Gin… Can we go home?" she whispered with a gentle tug at his sleeve. From the looks of it these men were in no mood to talk. She didn't trust them and reasoned that with seven against two they didn't stand a chance of emerging unscathed should violence erupt.

"Yea. Come on."

Shooting one last glare at the gang, he spun on his heel and began to lead her away from the scene. They'd barely gone ten paces before Gin dropped to his knees. Rangiku stared down at him in surprise, wondering what was wrong but when she saw the red stain begin to darken against the back of his head she understood. Her eyes searched the ground around their feet until she saw the culprit. A carelessly thrown stone rested inconspicuously in the dirt not too far away.

Gin groaned against the dizziness that was threatening to render him unconscious. The ground swam before his eyes but he was determined to remain conscious. If he blacked out there would be no one to protect her from them. HeÂ hadÂ to protect her.

Gingerly touching his fingers to the back of his head he pulled them before his eyes and blinked at them blearily. They were covered in sticky red blood. He sighed with resignation before pushing himself to his feet. Apparently rocks were still their favourite weapon of choice. As he pushed himself to his feet he noticed Rangiku standing not too far off. Her hands were balled into tiny fists at her sides and she was shaking, not with fear but anger.

"Why would you do that?" she screamed angrily, pointing an accusatory finger at the ringleader.

He put his hands to his chest in mock surprise before laughing heartily with his comrades.

"I don't need a reason to beat up outsiders. You should've stayed gone Gin," he called to him, looking past her to the boy trying to right himself.

Gin finally managed to stumble to his feet and glared at them as he wobbled slightly off balance. The street was spinning in sickening circles and his head was pounding in near blinding pain. He put his palm to his forehead to try and ease the pressure but it was no use. Their only way out would be to fight, since he doubted that either of them could run fast enough to escape the entire gang.

At the sound of Rangiku's scream he spun towards her. One of the thugs had snuck down a back alley and snatched her from behind. Her eyes were wide with fear as she looked down at him imploringly, begging him to help. The thug held her tight against his chest, his hands roving as they pleased over her body.

"I think it's time we got better acquainted with your new friend," he said tauntingly as he flicked out his tongue and licked at the tiny beads of sweat dripping down her cheek.

Rangiku closed her eyes against his touch and tried to shut everything out. Maybe it was all just a nightmare. Maybe if she tried hard enough she would wake up in the cave listening to nothing more than the reassuring sounds of Gin's snores.

She shut her eyes for another reason as well. She didn't want to see the helplessness swimming in Gin's. In that moment when their gazes locked she'd understood with a sinking feeling that he was powerless to stop them. He would fight for her until his body exhausted itself but beyond that she was on her own.

When Rangiku opened her eyes next, it was to the sensation of falling. Her body hit the dirt in an ungraceful heap and she looked up with surprise to see her abductor holding his arm wearing a grimace of pain. Blood trickled out from beneath his fingers and streamed in a steadily flowing succession of droplets to the ground.

"You little shit! You're going to pay for that!," someone called out threateningly.

Gin grabbed her arm roughly and hauled her to her feet. She noticed the small dagger in his hand and the dark stain that shone against the metal.

"Run!" he ordered, his eyes pleading with her to obey as he thrust her towards the outer edges of the small crowd of onlookers that'd begun to form.

She stumbled away from him blindly, not understanding at first that he wasn't following her. At the sound of skin striking skin she turned to see Gin being held up by two of the thugs while the leader landed blow after blow on his body. Seeing him so helpless at the mercy of such bad people forced her feet to remain frozen where she stood. She understood now why Gin chose to live with her in their cave in the desert. Together they took care of one another and lived an ideal life apart from the harsh realities of this other world.

Gin had always protected her and cared for her the way she believed an older brother would if she'd ever had one. He was protecting her even now, knowing that it meant he may not survive. She couldn't allow him to make such a sacrifice for her. He was no good to her dead. She wasn't ready to go back to living alone… For that matter, she didn't think she'd ever be ready to go back.

Her hands tightened at her sides as the anger built up within her body. With each groan that came from Gin's mouth her determination to save him and punish those who would dared to hurt him grew stronger. As the leader drew his fist back for one last finishing blow she heard her own voice ring out across the market.

"STOP IT!"

They all paused to look at her in stunned surprise. They figured she'd long since disappeared down the labyrinth of alleys and walkways that wove through the town.

Gin's head rose, his eyes swollen and bruised and he fixed her with a look of disappointment. He'd done all of this to spare her and yet she was putting herself right back in danger. His head dropped as he heard the chuckles of the men around him. He knew what they would do to her once they were done with him and he didn't have the power to stop them. She would lose her innocence to these monsters and it was entirely his fault.

Tears streamed down Rangiku's cheeks as she watched them wind up to resume their attack. The power within her now was unstoppable. She'd reached her limit and with it her emotions came spilling forward, releasing energy throughout her body. Fixing a dark glare at the leader of the gang, she concentrated on him and extended her hands outwards. She wasn't entirely sure what she was doing of course, but was reassured by the knowledge that whatever it was that was about to happen, it felt right. She closed her eyes and prayed to whoever was listening that Gin would be safe.

In that moment she felt the power leave her body and blast forth from her hands. Exhausted, she collapsed to her knees but refused to open her eyes. All around her she heard the stunned gasps of the onlookers and their murmured expressions of awe. When she finally braved a glance upwards she saw the gang sprawled out unconscious on the ground and Gin on his hands and knees struggling to stand. Without hesitating she ran to him, quickly pulling him into a tight embrace. Her tears flowed freely down her cheeks and soaked into the dirt muddied collar of his shirt.

He winced as her hands wrapped around his bruised midsection and dug into his sides, but for the moment he blocked out the pain. His hands shakily settled on her back as he tried to figure out what'd just happened to them both. One moment he was certain he was going to die and the next he was on the ground and everyone else had been blown away.

"What did you do?" he whispered into her hair incredulously. He felt her shake her head against his neck and sniffle loudly.

"I-I don't know. I'm sorry Gin! I'm so sorry!" She sobbed as the flood of emotions finally overwhelmed her. He shushed her and rubbed her back soothingly as his eyes remained fixed on the bodies around them. How had she done it? He'd always known she had a power hidden within herself, but to actually see her use it had been incredible.

The crowd around them gossiped in stunned surprise, casting wary glances their way while at the same time looking appreciatively down at the bodies at their feet. No one mourned the loss of a gang of thugs.

Amidst the mumblings of the crowd, the people behind them slowly began to part and two figures emerged. Tall and imposing in their black uniforms they gazed down at the pair critically before exchanging a knowing glance between themselves. Finally, the younger looking of the two men knelt down and offered them a gentle smile.

"I think you two should come with us."

Author's Note:Â Whew! I wrote this in one shot at 4 AM because I've become an insomniac and needed to occupy my time somehow. I hope it's coherent enough to understand. I'm going to apologize in advance if it's a little too philosophical. I'd love to know what you think. Thank you again for taking the time to review.